Whether you’ve written a series of 100,000-word novels or are working on the first page of your first manuscript, knowing what word count goal to aim for is crucial to your writing success.
Different genres fit into different word count goals. the word count of children’s books is no exception. some types of stories require more words to tell than others. some require images from an illustrator.
You are reading: Word count for children’s books
The length of your book should be based on the story and stage of development of your target audience. this is especially true when you’re writing a children’s book. there are subgenres within the genre.
While the direction a plot should take and which character is the best lead are subjective, the word count is often strict.
To see the greatest success of your book and your writing career, it helps to know how many words to look for. this is especially important to keep in mind when you start marketing your children’s book.
of course the word count will depend on the genre of the book you are writing and some genres may break the rules (like the harry potter series does), but in general it is important to follow the word count rules .
Knowing the exact number of words to target before laying out your book (or writing the first sentence if you’re a fan) will save you a lot of time.
Imagine sitting down to write the fantasy novel you’ve dreamed of writing since you were ten years old, only to end up with 90,000 words and realize it’s twice as long as it needs to be.
“wait a minute”, you might say. “I’ve read fantasy novels twice as long! how did this word count goal work out for that novel?”
While gender influences your ideal word count goal, the audience you write for is also a major contributing factor.
Eight-year-olds don’t have the ability to read 400 pages of a story, whereas adults typically want to read about 100,000 words of a story.
Which word count goal is right for you?
How long should a children’s book be? by age range
As you read this article, try to visualize the story you want to tell, as well as the audience you want to tell it to. Your target audience determines the length of your book, so it’s important to keep that reader in mind.
1. illustrated book
Illustrated books are some of the shortest books out there. Writers need to be extremely cautious about word counts for picture books, because industry standards are so strict. word counts in picture books are not guidelines, but rules to follow.
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according to the writer’s summary, “the standard is 32-page text. that could mean one line per page, or more. 500-600 words is a good number to aim for. when you get closer to 1000, publishers and agents can shy away.”
Remember, a double-spaced page with 1″ margins and 12-point font is about 250 words long. Creating a picture book within word count limits means typing fewer than three double-spaced pages.
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many picture books follow a single character through a scene from life (like going to bed on goodnight moon). it’s likely to work in your favor if you focus on one character instead of two or three. you’ll be able to go into more detail about this character’s experience and draw the reader (or in this case, the listener) into the story.
Especially in picture book writing, every word counts.
When plotting your story, try to choose the character from your point of view (point of view) through which the story will be most interesting. say it through their eyes, and their eyes only. this will help you pack an entire story into a few short pages.
As a general rule, resist the temptation to write from the point of view of a protagonist, a villain, the stray cat next door, and the mother. while this may work for a young adult novel (already), it will be hard to tell a good story with so many point of view characters in less than 600 words.
2. early readers
The target age range for early readers is 5-8 years old, with a word count of 1,000-2,500 words.
Jenny Bowman, a specialist in children’s literature, says: “Early readers are books with a little more text than the typical picture book. They are 32 to 64 pages long, with simple, repetitive text. Typically, each page or any other page has an illustration.”
When writing for early readers, keep in mind that your book is one of the first they’ll read. this is a new and hopefully exciting experience for them.
As a writer, you want your experience to be enjoyable and to keep you coming back quickly for more.
Although your word count is a bit longer than it would be if you were writing a picture book, just because you have a higher word count doesn’t mean every word has to be different.
early readers are new to reading. using words repetitively, coming back to the same phrase over and over again (as it fits the story), and cutting out most of the words they couldn’t pronounce will make their reading experience more enjoyable.
You could also incorporate rhyming phrases or use words that sound similar.
This should help develop your enthusiasm for reading. Instead of getting frustrated with all the new words they don’t know, they’ll enjoy going back to the phrases they’ve mastered and probably feel a sense of accomplishment learning a new word or two by the end of the story.
3. middle grade chapter books
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Typically, the average grade word count (mg) is 20,000 to 55,000 words. however, this number depends on the topic being written about as well as the age of the readers, as the average grade spans a wide age range.
on the topic of age range, the writer’s summary says: “when writing a longer book aimed at 12-year-olds (and which could perhaps be considered ‘tween’), it is advisable to use the term ‘middle grade superior’. .”
the upper middle grade is usually between 40,000 and 55,000 words. this type of writing is the bridge between early readers and young adults.
While your word count may include some acceptable topics in you, young adult topics should not be the focus in middle grade writing.
The writer’s summary explains that, “with a simpler middle grade idea (football hero or jenny jones and the cupcake mystery), aim lower. look for 20,000-35,000 words.”
what word count is correct for your children’s book?
Ask yourself who your target audience is, and then see if you can fit your story plot into that target word count.
if you can, it’s time to get to work.
If your story is too complex for the specific word count you’re looking for, consider trimming the characters, combining some characters into one, or cutting a subplot.
If your story isn’t long enough, consider using another point of view character, adding a subplot, or starting the story with a different inciting incident.
and while you write your story, enjoy the process!
Writing is a joy, and when proper writing guidelines are followed, countless readers have the potential to enjoy your work.
Remember, the enjoyment of history is for all ages. While readers of different ages need different word counts, the art of storytelling is the same.
choose your audience and then write that story. It’s time to share your dream with readers!
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